Blood, steel, ice and claws
by Devilfrog
Summary: The story of four of my own heroes. Valerie, an adopted 16 year old with mutant powers and a voice in her head. Codie, a scientist who went missing years ago. Tori, (gender-bent Victor Creed) who has the second scariest fingernails ever and Wolverine as a brother. And Ferin, the pampered daughter of Loki who comes to Midguard during Loki's imprisonment to try out her new freedom.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter one: Poison pulse**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Spiderman, or his team, they belong to Marvel. I don't own the lyrics used in this chapter, they are from the song ****_Bleeding out_**** by ****_Imagine Dragons._**** I don't even own this version of the Spiderman song, it was thought of by my friend, co-writer, motivator and twin sister, Super-nerd-of-the-stars ( )/Randomballofpancakes (DVA).**

_Heroes, what are they? To some of you, they're just chocolates. To others, they're the influence in your life. You aspire to follow in their foot steps. And to a select few, hero means those tough guys, the ones who save lives and sweep ladies of their feet._

_Everyone likes to think that, if they got the chance, they could be a hero. That if they have the ideals and powers they could do it. And I believe that there is a hero in all of us. You know? That little part of you that says, "Hey! You should help that old lady who just fell over!" But when it comes down to you, what you believe and who you are, the depressing truth is that there is no such thing as a hero. No matter what there's still a speck of greed or a hint of bitterness. Even if you start with something pure, life beats you down and it festers and becomes hateful. _

_You may be wondering about those who call themselves heroes. "How can that be true if there is no such thing?" You are asking. Those people, they're not the angels the media make them out to be. What they are, is they're the ones who overcame that greed and bitterness. They still feel it, sometimes a lot more than others, but they can push it down to do the right thing._

_And now we're back where we began. But I'll tell you something extra. Being a hero isn't about the powers or the person or the perspective, its about morals more than anything. And it's hard._

**On the Hellicarrier**

_Beep!_

_Beep!_

_Beep!_

"Big beepy alarms and flashy red lights, _never_ a good sign." Spiderman swung through the halls of the Hellicarrier, taking care not to hit the S.H.I.E.L.D agents swarming beneath him. He spotted everyone's favourite one-eyed pirated/S.H.I.E.L.D director and swung down to land, crouched on the wall beside him.

"What's your twenty, Fury? Is it a mutiny, or did you loose your pirate hat?" The wall crawler quipped, drawing an aggravated sigh from the director of S.H.I.E.L.D, along with the classic, 'spidermanisgoingtogivemeahernia' look.

"There's no time for backchat, Spiderman. Venom's been sighted in New York." Spiderman fell silent and obediently followed Fury to the main communications area.

"We're attempting to make a com link." The director explained.

"Why? Last time I checked, talking to Venom isn't exactly worth while."

_Does he even have ears?_

Spiderman chuckled at the mental image of a chibi Venom with a massive pair of elfish ears.

Fury ignored him and went over to one of the miscellaneous S.H.I.E.L.D agents who where on coms.

"Any luck?" he asked.

"Almost there..." she replied. After hitting a few more keys a crackling sound emanated from the screen.

"The subject appears to be carrying an... iPod?" The crackling gave away the sound of someone, presumably a girl, singing, while the screen displayed a picture of a sleek-bodied Venom swinging from black webs.

"_Spiderman, Spiderman, does what ever a spider can!_

_Can he swing, from a web? No he can't, he's just some dude!"_

Everyone was now looking a Spiderman, who was staring blankly at the screen while the image of a chibi Venom and a chibi Spiderman ran through his mind. Chibi Venom blew a gigantic raspberry and covered chibi Spidey in slobber.

_"Look out, he's a Spider-dude!"_

Fury gripped his forehead, "disable the com!" he ordered angrily.

"I'm sending you and the team in. Don't mess it up. We need Venom's victim alive, they could have crucial information on how he got back from outer space."

"Rodger dodger!" Spiderman called, swinging off down the hall on a web.

"And before you leave stop off at the labs! They've created a specialized weapon to fight Venom!"

"It emits a powerful sonic wave," A skinny, black-haired scientist was saying to Spiderman, who was antsy to get the team and go. The lab they where standing in was rather sparsely furnished, one desk, four worktops, and three wheelie chairs.

"Are you sure it'll... You know, work?" Spiderman asked sceptically, eyes drifting over the chrome, note-covered walls. By the amount of scribbled out calculations and singe marks he could tell that the A.V.S.D, or 'Anti-Venom-Sonic-Disruptor' still had a few bugs.

"If used correctly it should be enough to 'peel' Venom off of it's victim, leaving him or her relatively unharmed."

"'Relatively?'" Spiderman air quoted, "I don't like the sound of 'relatively'."

"There could be side affects," The short scientist said hurriedly, holding the small round gadget out to the fidgeting wall crawler, "it hasn't been tested against Venom before."

"There's a first time for everything." Spiderman decided, seizing the sonic disrupter. The scientist's face lit up and he babbled his agreement. Spiderman left the lab to find the team, leaving the scientist to tinker with the gadgets in the lab.

"Guys?" Spiderman called out, knocking on the steel door of the rec room. No one answered, so her pushed it open. Everyone was rolling around on the grey-carpet floor and gutting themselves with laughter.

"Guys?" he asked again. Ava attempted to answer him, pushing herself up against the black felt couch, but she couldn't speak for spluttering with laughter. Instead, she pointed at the screen, which was displaying a horribly familiar image of a sleek Venom with white accents on it's body.

"You guys saw the com feed then." Spidey deadpanned. Sam looked up, saw him, and laughed even harder, pointing a flailing arm at him. Spiderman was greeted with the mental image of the whole team sans himself loading a gigantic catapult with an equally large water balloon. They fired it, the balloon flew in a smooth arc, then landed directly on top of chibi Spidey, who rung out his sodden costume while the others laughed at him.

"Fury's sending us after Venom." he tried. Slowly, the team composed themselves and filed out of the rec room. Except Sam, who continued to laugh himself even stupider all the way to the jet-deck.

"We're in stealth mode, approaching target." Ava said.

"Who are you talking to?" Spiderman whispered, appearing beside her and making her jump. Luckily he put his hand over her mouth to muffle her squeal of surprise.

"Shhhhh." he said quietly, looking rather creepy in the low light. They could see the silhouette of the sleek Venom swinging on the tall buildings.

"Engage with caution. Try and get close without being seen." White Tiger whispered to Spiderman.

The wall crawler leapt up silently onto the side of the building and began to swing _right behind_ venom. He could see it's broad shoulders and toned muscles clearly.

_There's something off about this... _He thought. Venom was usually a lot more bulky. Heck, Venom's _muscles_ had _muscles_. And now that he was close he could hear the singing voice again,

"_...When the day has come, but I've lost my way around,_

_And the seasons stop, and hide beneath the ground, _

_When the sky turns grey,_

_And everything is screaming,_

_I will reach inside, just to find my heart is beating..."_

Spiderman refocused and Venom-that-he-was-starting-to-think-wasn't-Venom did an summersault and landed on the roof of a building.

"_Oh you tell me to hold on, oh you tell me to hold on, _

_But innocence is gone,_

_And what was right is wrong!_

_'Cause I'm bleeding out,_

_So if the last thing that I do, is to bring you down,_

_I'll bleed out for you..."_

Spiderman flipped up and landed behind it, pulling out the disruptor and preparing to fire.

_This was way to easy._ He thought as he pressed in the button. But before he could the singing voice stopped and a thick tendril of black _stuff_ knocked the disruptor out of his hand, sending it skidding over the edge on the building. Venom whipped around and screamed like a banshee, grabbing hold of Spiderman by his leg and hoisting him, upside down, off of the ground.

**A/N: This is the bit where, if this was a cartoon on TV, the add break would be. Unfortunately, I have nothing to advertise. Except my deviantART page, which is stupid if you happen to be reading this from my deviantART page. In any case, my user name is ****_Theshylittleninja,_**** so check it out for all my story-art!**

**Sorry if this chapter was a bit rubbish, it gets better, I promise! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two: Parasite down**

**Disclaimer: As I said before all rights go to Marvel. I do, however, own Valerie Charles AKA Black Blood.**

_Have you ever watched a film where an important moment is slowed down so you can see every detail? Where time seems to slow down as the character dodges the bullet or realizes that they've just stabbed there own son? No one thinks it happens in real life, but it does. It's a strange sensation, like all your insides are slowly going around in a washing machine. This is what happens either when reflex takes over, or in my case, when you truly can't believe what you're seeing. As a random, non _specific _example_, _I never ever expected to be holding Spiderman upside down by the ankle on the first night that I had the guts to try out my powers._

**In New York**

"Me and my big mouth." Spiderman groaned as _Venom_ stared into his eye lenses.

_'OhmygodOhmygodOhmygod! Is that Spiderman?!_

_**Oh shut up of course it is!**_

_What the hell am I doing?! I can't hurt him! He's a national treasure!_

_**More of a menace, really.**_

_Says the one who insisted on modelling our entire look after said menace._

_**What? The design was good but it needed re-colouring.**_

_I'll re-colour you in a minute, Black Blood. _

_**You know it's rather odd that we're just standing here staring into his eyes. Your not making a very good first impression. That scream was awful!**_

_We both know that was you._

_**Hurry up and do something, we're coming off odd!**_

_Right, emm..._

_**First step, put him down.**_

Spiderman tensed as _Venom _adjusted it's grip on his leg. The parasite tilted it's head inquisitively, which was defiantly new, and lowered the masked hero to the ground. He stared at Venom, trying to gauge it's next move, but it seemed to be in the middle of some kind of internal conflict. Taking advantage of Venom's preoccupied state, Spiderman flip-kicked it in the face and leapt about a meter back, awaiting it's counter attack.

_Putting him down was a _very_ stupid idea._

_**You suggested it!**_

_You little liar! It w-_

It'sinner musings where cut of by Spiderman, who'd bounded forwards again and attempted another kick. This time, it was quick enough to dodge.

"_Seriously?! _I just put you back down and you kick me in the _face?_ Wow, so much _gratitude_."

White Tiger and Iron Fist climbed up onto the roof just in time to hear _Venom_.

"Whoa! Did it just _talk?_" The tigress asked Spidey, who simply shrugged, his only thought being, '_well, this is getting weird.'_

Venom lashed out at Tiger with a powerful left hook, she was caught off guard and knocked off the roof, only to be caught at the last minute by Spidey's webs.

"Where are Bucket-head and Powerman?" Spiderman asked as he and Iron Fist launched a flurry of attacks against _Venom_, who was acting strangely defensive.

"Batroc the Leaper has shown up down town. Nova and Powerman are taking care of it." Iron Fist informed, hittingit in the jaw with a glowing fist. The creature hissed in pain, glaring at Iron Fist with it's unnerving white eyes.

"Venom seems... Different..." He muttered. Said parasite launched it's self strait at Iron Fist. The warrior braced himself for an impact that never came. Venom flew strait over his head, shooting a web onto the next building and swinging away in the direction of the down town area.

_**What are we doing?**_

_We're going to fight Batroc the Leaper._

_**Why?!**_

_We need some good publicity. Plus I really want Spiderman's autograph!_

_**Dork-wad.**_

"Iron Fist! Grab the AVSD, I'm going after Venom!" Spiderman called out, shooting a web and swinging after the parasite.

Venom could move surprisingly quickly. It had reached Batroff's location in under five minutes and was standing on a building, watching as Nova and Powerman tried in vain to get a hold of the slippery Leaper.

"Aha, American Idiots! You vil never catch ze great leaper!" The irksome Frenchman jibbed to the heroes.

_We'll see about that._

_**Yes, I think we shall.**_

_Venom_ prepared to _leap_ into action, only to be suddenly tackled by Spiderman from behind. The two fell through the air and landed hard on the sidewalk, Spiderman sprawled out on top of it. Somewhere under the thick layers of black fleshy_ stuff_ Venom's'victim' blushed. Spiderman quickly got up and adopted a fighting stance. He was, however, completely ignored by _Venom_, who went strait for Batroc the Leaper. Within seconds the parasite had knocked him out cold and glued him to the middle of the street.

_Ha! Take that, Batroc the Butt-face!_

_**Seriously? That's the best you can come up with?**_

_Your ruining my moment._

_**At least you didn't say that aloud.**_

"You're very welcome, guys!" Venom said to the shell shocked team. By the time it noticed that Spidey was missing it was already too late.

"Take that, Venom!" A piercingly high-pitched scream escaped _Venom _as it fell to it's knees. It continued to howl at inhuman frequencies as the thick black _stuff_ began to ripple and split. It's cries reached their peak, assaulting the ears of anyone in the near vicinity with a sonic-strength sound wave before the black ribbons retreated back into the body it had supposedly taken over. That of a seventeen year old girl with blond hair and red glasses. Spiderman jumped forward to catch her before her unconscious form hit the tarmac.

"_Side effects._" he grumbled, lifting the girl up bridal style, "I'll give that guy _side effects._"

"Back to the Hellicarrier then?" Powerman said, using his watch to call the jet. The web-slinger instead decided to 'fwhip' upwards, into the sky towards the Tricarrier.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three: Spider-gal

AN: This is for a guest reviewer called starry. Thanks for the feed back starry! (Hope you're reading this other wise I look like an idiot) Anyways, on with the story! _

"Oh, god... What kind of s*** have I got myself into now?" The groggy voice of Venom's victim awoke Spiderman, who had set himself the duty of watching over her.

"That, my friend, is a very good question." He muttered sleepily, yawning and lifting his head off the side of the bed and stretching out.

"Ohmygod! Spiderman!" She exclaimed as her eyes opened,

"This is gonna sound sooooo dorky but... Could I have your autograph...Uh, please?"

"Uh..." This was weird on so many levels. This the first time he'd ever been asked for an autograph. He's not going to give you his autograph. No he totally is gonna give me his autograph. And why would he do that, dork? Um... Because I asked nicely?

"I'm taking your silence as a yes." The young woman said, thrusting a napkin and a pen into the wall crawler's hands. Spiderman messily scrawled his alias onto the napkin and handed it gingerly back, almost jumping out of his Spidey-shorts when she held it up and made a high pitched "Squee!".

_**Because this is a great first impression.** _

_Oh god, I must look so stupid! _

_**You don't say.** _

_What am I gonna do?!_

_ **Just try not to mess it up any more.** _

_Noted. _

"So... Uh, do you remember anything before Venom attacked you?" Spiderman asked.

"Venom? Why does everyone keep saying that? What is a Venom?"

"So that's a no then." The wall crawler sighed, "What's your name?"

"Valerie.. Uh, Charles. Valerie Charles." She offered him a hand, which the spider batted away, thinking of how to get more info. Valerie frowned, poking him in the shoulder. "Huh? Oh, was it you?" He blurted.

"Was what me?"

"Was it you who was singing?" He repeated.

"Oh," she blushed, "you heard that, did you?" The spider grinned, now they where getting somewhere.

"Yeah, I did. How do you remember that if you don't remember Venom?"

"Maybe because I have no idea who, or what Venom is?"

"Oh. You know, big black ugly dude, huge tongue, bad breath?"

_** Is he talking about me?!** _

_Well, you do have bad breath. _

_**What a jerk-face! I outta knock his lights out, right here, right now!** _

_Cool it, Black Blood, he said Venom. _

_**But he means me!** _

_Fine then, I'll ask him._

_** You do that.** _

"Black... Like this?" Valerie held out her hand to Spiderman, who quirked an eye-lens. Black tendrils of what Spiderman would identify as Venom slid out of her sleeve and wrapped securely around Valerie's hand, a white X-ray pattern appearing on it.

"Woah... Wha- How are you doing that?"

"Natural gift. I've had the Black Blood my whole life." Valerie smiled as the dark tendrils retreated back down her sleeve.

"The Black Blood? So it's like... What? Inside you?"

"Well _yeah_, my blood is black and this it my blood." Valerie looked up at him, trying to gauge his expression, but it was pretty difficult with the mask.

"How did you get Black Blood? Was it like a lab accident or did you get bitten by a radio active... Mosquito?"

"Hehe, no... I... Well, I'm not like other people... I'm a mutant."

"What? Like an X-gene mutant? Like Wolverine?" Spiderman said, casting his gaze across the so-called mutant suspiciously.

"No, no... Not quite like that. Wolverine's a feral, I'm... Not exactly sure what category I fall into..." She trailed off.

"So no Venom? Case closed? Open and shut just like that? No 'Harry, come over to the Dark Side, we have cookies' Nonsense?"

"I guess not." Valerie said, "does this mean I can go now?"

"Uh, yeah... I'll go ask Fury. Don't do anything stupid." Spiderman said, hopping out of the uncomfortable looking poop brown plastic chair beside Valerie's bed and heading for the door. As soon as he was outside Valerie pulled all the little plastic suckers off her and sat up on the bed.

_** Hey! The Spider said don't do anything!**_

_ No, he said don't do anything stupid. _

_**Yeah, but stupid is your middle name.** _

_That is very true._

_** It is. But on the other hand we're in just the right mood to do stupid things.** _

_In that case, where first? _

_**Do you think that wherever we are has a cafeteria? **_

_I think I'm gonna need my clothes back first. _

_**That's a yes.** _

_No it isn't. I'm going to look for something to wear that actually covers my butt. _

_**You're so modest.** _

_Are you saying you'd happily walk around showing your butt? _

_**Technically, I don't have a butt.** _

_Shut up, dumb-ass._

_** How can I be a dumb-ass if I don't have and ass?**_

_ You know what I mean. _

_**Well duh, I'm you.**_

Valerie stood up, a little wobbly, and leant her back against the steel wall. It was cold and made her shiver.

_Oh god, I hope this isn't one of those rooms with one-sided glass for walls._

She slid timidly along it until she reached the drawer where she assumed her clothes where, instead there was what appeared to be one of Spider-man's spare costumes.

_ Oh, hell no._

_** C'mon! We're starving.** _

_This is Spidey's costume! What is he going to think if he sees me in this?! _

_**That we look hot.** _

_What?! No! He's going to think I'm some kind of creepy stalker who goes around stealing other people's clothes! _

_**At least he'll think we're a hot creepy stalker.** _

_Shut up! There is no way I'm wearing this._

_** Would it be better or worse if he saw you bungling around in a hospital gown with your butt out?** _

_Uh... Fine I'll wear it._

Valerie prayed that their where no cameras or see through walls before pulling up the hospital gown and putting on the bottom part of the costume. They were little uncomfortable to pull up, the spandex nipped her skin a few times, but once she had them on they fitted her quite well. She looked down at herself and grinned. It wasn't to bad. Perfectly excusable.

_**Heh.** _

_What? _

_**Well, if you're gonna wear the bottoms you may as well go the whole hog and put the shirt on too.** _

_No._

_** Come on. Don't you want the whole 'I am Spider-man' experience?** _

_Not really. And anyway, this is more like the, 'I am not actually Spider-man I just stole his clothes' experience. _

**_Fine, but if the hospital gown comes undone and falls off in public, don't blame us._**

_ You're annoyingly persuasive, you know that?_

**_ We try._ **

The shirt was a lot easier to put on, and apart from a few tight spots, it was pretty comfortable and fitted her broad-shouldered frame well.

**_You're sure Spidey's a dude?_**

_ Yes, why? _

_**This costume feels weirdly like it was fitted for a girl.** _

_I have broad shoulders! _

_**Yeah, but does Spider-man have**- _

_La la la la! To much information! I don't want that thought in my head!_

**_ I'm just wondering, ya'know, if he-_**

_ No! No! I don't wanna know!_

Valerie shivered at that though and awkwardly made her way over to the door, which she was mildly surprised to find unlocked. Slipping silently through the door, she was glad to find the corridor empty, though a loud rumble from her stomach and a few naggy thoughts from Black Blood reminded her that she would need to head for the cafeteria. Worse than that thought was that she would likely need to ask for directions. Swallowing, Val poked her head -just her head- around the corner and spotted a guy with what appeared to be a golden bucket on his head. She wanted to laugh, but considering her current situation that would be hypocritical.

"Hey! Excuse me!" she shouted. The bucket-guy turned around, looking bemusedly at her disembodied head.

"Could you tell me where the cafeteria is, please?" Her voice was little more than a polite-ish sounding squeak, but he seemed to hear.

"Uh... Strait down that corridor and take a left." He said, seeming a little weirded out. Valerie waited for him to go away or turn around or even check his phone. Anything that would distract him long enough for her to make an escape, but he just kind of stood there and looked at her dumbly. She was itching to leave, so she finally went to her last resort.

"Hey look! It's ... Uh... Father Christmas!" She yelled, pointing behind him, he whipped around and she bolted for the corridor on the left. When he turned back around all he saw was a red boot disappear around the corner.

_Phew, that was close. _

**_Why'd that guy have a bucket on his head?_**

_ I dunno, but it looked pretty stupid. _

_**If we where a guy, this suit would probably ride up in the crotch.** _

_Really? That's the only thought going through your head right now? Where the hell did that even come from?! _

_**I dunno, but it's binding in the armpits, isn't it?** _

_Yeah, it kinda nips._

Refocusing on the task at hand, Valerie poked her head round the door of the cafeteria.

"Woah..."

_OhmygodOhmygodOhmygod! I can't do this! _

**_Relax. Just focus on the food._**

_ I can't, I can't, I can't. I just can't. Sorry, gonna have to go without food for a while._

**_ Hey! We did not come all this was for nothing! Now get in there and join that queue!_ **

Swallowing hard and taking a deep breath, Valerie stuck her foot out into the middle of the door way and hesitated for a few seconds, then , against her very being, pulled the rest of her body out along with it. She stood, frozen, cheeks burning, in the door way, just waiting for everyone in the room to burst into peels of laughter, but no one did, no one even batted an eyelash.

_**See, it's fine. Just act like we're supposed to be here.** _

_I can't handle the pressure! I'm gonna faint! _

_**No, no, no! Don't do that! We're so close!** _

_I can't! _

_**Yes you can!** _

_Nooo... _

**_Yes! Get in there girl, you can do it!_ **

Trying and failing to put out the fire in her cheeks, Val walked stiffly across the room, skipping half the unsuspecting queue-ers and sideling in next to a guy in green spandex that made her outfit look subtle. She managed to make it to the front of the line and get her food with no unwanted attention, apart from a strange look and shake of the head from the lunch lady. And then it came to finding a seat.

_Oh dammit. _

_**This is grade school all over again for you isn't it?** _

_In a freakin' nutshell._

She scanned the area, eventually spotting the guy she'd stood -hidden- behind in the queue. Her body was still ridged with embarrassment as she walked inconspicuously over and sat down next to him silently, praying that she wouldn't be seen or heard.

_Be subtle, be subtle, be subtle, be subtle. _

**_You do realise that's not going to help._**

_ Neither are you! Shut up, he might hear you._

_** I'm in your head, stupid.** _

_Stop talking! _

Quietly blowing out a breath she didn't know she'd holding, she started her food. It was pretty bland, but considering she hadn't eaten since she'd arrived, it was one of the best meals she ever eaten. The green-spandex-guy finished around the same time as her, still without acknowledging her, luckily, and went to put his tray back. Val followed, treading silently in his foot steps. Gingerly, she sat her tray on top of the pile without making a sound.

_I've almost made it! I've almost made it! _

**_Yeah, that's the spirit almost in the safe zone!_ **

She felt ready to weep with joy. That was, until probably the worst thing that could of happened, happened. Through the door came the real Spider-man. And not only that, but his eyes-lenses landed right on her.

_Human-shield! _

_**Human-shield!** _

_Wait, what? _

**_Human shield!_**

Without thinking, Valerie grabbed green-spandex-guy by the shoulders and pulled him in front of her, crouching behind him so her face could not be seen by the approaching spider.

"Danny? Who's that behind you?" The wall crawler asked accusingly, narrowing his eye-lenses.

"I don't know..." Danny replied slowly, attempting to look over his shoulder, but Valerie was to quick and dodged to the side, exposing part of her stolen-costume-covered body but still hiding her mortified face. Danny attempted to side step, but Val wasn't about to let that happen, every time he moved, she moved. After twelve sidesteps that grew faster each time Danny got annoyed. He whipped around with ninja reflexes and caught her by the shoulders. Valerie let out an undignified squeak as she was forced to face Spidey. He looked at her with raised eyebrows and she could feel her face getting hotter and hotter by the second.

"There's a perfectly logical explanation..." She squeaked, crumbling under the eyes of the two spandex clad heroes.

_**To be continued.** _

_This is all your fault._

**_ Hey! I completely disagree!_ **


End file.
